Reactor

Abstract

Provided is a reactor in which a catalyst to accelerate reaction of a reactant is allowed to act on a reaction fluid having the reactant. The reactor has a partition that defines, in a parallel form, a plurality of reaction flow passages through which the reaction fluid flows, and a plurality of catalyst structures, each having a catalyst and being respectively provided in each of the plurality of reaction flow passages. The partition has a communicating portion allowing the plurality of reaction flow passages to communicate mutually.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A reactor in which a catalyst to accelerate reaction of a reactant is allowed to act on a reaction fluid having a reactant, the reactor comprising:
 a partition that defines a layered space between a plurality of heat transfer walls into a plurality of reaction flow passages in a parallel form, through which the reaction fluid flows; and 
 a plurality of catalyst structures, each having the catalyst and being respectively loaded in each of the plurality of reaction flow passages; 
 wherein each of the plurality of catalyst structures includes a main body made of a thin plate material on which the catalyst is supported, the partition has a communicating portion allowing the plurality of reaction flow passages to communicate with each other, and the communicating portion is arranged in a location closer to inlet side branch points than to outlet side branch points of the reaction flow passages within a range where the reaction fluid branches to flow, and 
 wherein the main body of each of the plurality of catalyst structures divides the reaction flow passage along the flow direction of the reaction fluid and defines a plurality of partial flow passages in parallel, and the main body has a communicating portion allowing the plurality of partial flow passages to communicate with each other in correspondence with the communicating portion of the partition. 
 
     
     
       2. The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the communicating portion of the partition is arranged so that the plurality of reaction flow passages communicate with each other in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the reaction fluid, and the reaction fluid flowing through the plurality of reaction flow passages is redistributed in the middle in the communication portion. 
     
     
       3. The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the partition includes one or a plurality of partition walls extending along a flow direction of the reaction fluid, the partition wall is configured to include at least two partial partition walls arranged apart from each other so as to have a gap therebetween, and the communicating portion of the partition has the gap of the partition wall. 
     
     
       4. The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the partition includes one or a plurality of partition walls extending along a flow direction of the reaction fluid, and the communicating portion of the partition has a cutout provided in the partition wall. 
     
     
       5. The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the partition includes one or a plurality of partition walls extending along a flow direction of the reaction fluid, and the communicating portion of the partition has a through-hole provided in the partition wall. 
     
     
       6. The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the main body is configured to include at least two portions arranged apart from each other so as to have a gap therebetween, and the communicating portion of the main body has the gap of the main body. 
     
     
       7. The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the communicating portion of the main body has a cutout provided in the main body. 
     
     
       8. The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the communicating portion of the main body has a through-hole provided in the main body. 
     
     
       9. The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the thin plate material constituting the main body is bent in such a manner to form one or more parallel grooves and ridges, and defines each of the plurality of partial flow passages so as to have a rectangular cross section being perpendicular to the flow direction of the reaction fluid, and
 the communicating portion of the main body has a cutout provided in at least one of a part forming the groove and a part forming the ridge of the thin plate material. 
 
     
     
       10. The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of catalyst structures are respectively replaceable. 
     
     
       11. The reactor according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 another partition that defines another layered space between the plurality of heat transfer walls into a plurality of heating medium flow passages in a parallel form, through which a heating medium flows.